HotDocs

A common computer science concept, the Class, is a key benefit of Docassemble over other document assembly platforms. But when I work with a new Docassemble learner, or evangelize Docassemble to users of other platforms, Classes and Objects are the concept most likely to draw a blank look or create Read more…

I had the pleasure of spending Friday at Docacon presenting to and learning from 30 Docassemble users from around the country—and I learned so much from all of them. It was exciting to see so many people building amazing projects. In October 2017 I made a comparison of the options Read more…

I am working on a project to develop a guided interview for tenants who are facing eviction. Briefly, a guided interview is a TurboTax-like interface that asks a user questions and drafts a letter, form, or pleading that might be printed out or electronically filed with a court. This is Read more…

The HotDocs Component Generator for Google Sheets is now available in the Chrome Web Store. This is an evolution of a few techniques I’ve discussed on this blog that is more user friendly than PowerShell and doesn’t require you to learn JavaScript. Read more about it here: http://nonprofittechy.com/projects/hotdocs-computation-generator/.

Without true automation, guided interviews that produce legal forms are too difficult to justify the learning curve. As I have stated on this blog before, I am working on updating the Greater Boston Legal Services Eviction Defense System, a tool that helps lawyers and nonlawyer advocates complete legal forms for Read more…

Do you maintain Hotdocs guided interviews on LHI? Here’s one way to keep a Hotdocs guided interview up to date: use a Google Form to let users across the jurisdiction submit updates to a spreadsheet, and then use Google Apps Script to generate a Hotdocs computation from the user submissions. The computation Read more…

The maximum amount a single person can earn and still qualify for free legal help is just over $15,000 a year, and for a family of four that increases to only $30,000 a year. With a few exceptions, someone making $16,000 is on their own. Even if you do earn Read more…

If you use the document assembly product HotDocs, you may know that the main component file (which contains the interview logic and variables used to turn the template into a finished document) is an XML file. HotDocs Developer, the official editor for the component file, is relatively easy to use. Read more…

Yes, it’s true: you should probably be using technology right now in your legal services program. It’s time to think beyond the word processor. Technology can directly help both our clients and the people we turn away. What’s more, it can help us sell our message better to the people Read more…